Social Psychology Intro to The Self in the Social World

Social Psychology

The scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to others. It examines the interaction between the individual and social environment with an emphasis on how situations shape behavior. 

Social Thinking

How we perceive ourselves and others in making judgements, form attitudes, and explain behavior.

Social Influence

Pressures that shape behavior, conformity, persuasion, culture, and group dynamics.

Social Relations

Prejudice, aggression, attraction, altruism, and conflict resolution.

Late 19th and 20th Century

When was Social Psychology developed as a scientific field?

Late 1800 - Early 1900

Scientific interest in social behavior began as early researchers explored how groups affect individuals.

Norman Triplett

He conducted one of the first social psychology experiments in 1898, observing that cyclists performed faster when racing with others compared to racing alone. — Social Facilitation.

1920s to 1930s: Early Theories

Field expanded into attitudes, social influence, and group dynamics. In addition, researchers explored on how people’s mind run relate to their behavior.

Floyd Allport

Founder of experimental social psychology. He emphasized the importance of individual social context, helping in distinguishing social psychology from sociology.

1940s to 1950s: Growth and Influence of WWII

The rise of powerful leaders widespread propaganda and extreme acts of obedience and prejudice prompted scientists to investigate why people follow authority, how beliefs are shaped and what drives hostility between groups.

Kurt Lewin

He is the father of modern social psychology. He promoted the experimental study of behavior and introduced the person-situation interaction (B = f(P, E))—behavior is the function of a person and environment.

1960s to 1970s: Classic Studies and Expansion

This period was a transformative era in social psychology. Researchers sought to understand the powerful effect of social influence on human behavior. This era solidified social psychology as a field capable of explaining not only ordinary social behavior but also extraordinary acts like obedience in extreme circumstances.

• Obedience to Authority by Stanley Milgram (1963)

• Conformity by Solomon Asch (1951)

• Cognitive Dissonance by Leon Festinger (1957)

Major Topics and Studies during 1960s to 1970s:

1980s to 1990s: Cognitive and Social Cognition Focus

The era when Social Psychology became increasingly interdisciplinary. It began to integrate ideas and methods from:

• Cognitive Psychology (to understand mental processes)

• Biology and Neuroscience (to explore the brain’s role in social behavior).

• Cultural Psychology and Anthropology (to explain how culture shapes thought and emotion).

2000s to Present: Contemporary Developments

Social Psychology has continued to evolve, becoming more global, data driven, and connected to real-world issues.

• We construct our social reality.

• Social intuitions are powerful but sometimes perilous.

• Attitudes shape—and are shaped by behavior.

• Social influences shape behavior.

• Social behavior is biologically rooted.

• Feelings and actions are influenced by social context.

• Social psychology applies to everyday life.

Big Ideas in Social Psychology

Research Strategies

social psychologists employ rigorous research methods from descriptive surveys to correlational analyses and controlled experiments while upholding ethical standards and considering validity and generalization.

Descriptive Research

to describe behavior, methods, includes surveys, observational research.

Correlational Research

to detect naturally occurring relationships; identify whether variables are associated.

Experimental Research

methods that can determine cause and effect; where researchers manipulate variables and control conditions.

Ethical Considerations

ensures that research protects the rights, safety and dignity of participants. It includes the use of informed consent, confidentiality, debriefing (especially in deception), and humane treatment of participants.

Sense of Self

is the sum of an individual’s answers to the question, “Who am I?” It includes all the beliefs, feelings, and thoughts we have about ourselves. It is composed of self-schemas, which are mental templates by which we organize our worlds.

Social Comparisons

Evaluating one’s opinions and abilities by comparing oneself with others

• Self-evaluation

• Self-improvement

• Self-enhancement

3 main purpose of social comparisons:

Self and Culture

plays a critical role in shaping the sense of self, primarily through two broad perspectives (individualism and collectivism).

Individualism

prioritizing one’s goals over group goals and defining one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications.

Collectivism

Cultural tendency to put the group’s goals and harmony ahead of individual goals, defining one’s identity through their relationships and group memberships

Self-Knowledge

It refers to the understanding why we feel and act the way we do.

Predicting Behavior

Discovering that what we expected people would want and what they actually wanted were not the same.

Predicting our Feelings (Affective Forecasting)

Tendency to predict how we’ll feel in the future, especially in response to specific events or experiences.

Impact Bias

The tendency to overestimate how long emotional reactions to events will last. Positive feelings fade quickly, while negative emotions tend to stick around longer.

Self-Analysis

The practice of examining our own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It is valued because it supports greater self-awareness and helps improve decision-making.

Illusion of Self-Analysis (Illusion of Introspection)

The bias in which we overestimate how correct and dependable our conscious thoughts are when we try to explain the causes of our own feelings, attitudes, and behaviors.

Dual Attitude System

The concept that we can hold two different attitudes about the same person, idea, or object at the same time. This helps explain why self-knowledge has limits, as our unconscious attitudes can shape behavior without us realizing it. It includes Explicit (conscious, controlled, and deliberate) and Implicit (unconscious, automatic, and gut-level) attitudes.

Self-Esteem Motivation

Motivation influenced by the individual’s sense of self-worth

Self-Esteem

A person’s overall self-evaluation or sense of self-worth

Self-Esteem Threats

Experiencing social rejection reduces self-esteem and increases a person’s desire for acceptance and approval.

Self-Compassion

Letting go of comparisons with others and responding to ourselves with kindness and understanding (e.g., “I am beautiful,” “I am kind,” “I am loved”).

Narcissism

Having an inflated sense of self and not caring about others.

• Think they are worthy and good

• Outgoing and charming

• Confident

vs

• Think they are better and smarter than others

• Outgoing and charming but their self-centeredness leads to a stained relationship later

• Has feelings of superiority

High Self-Esteem vs. Narcissism

Self-Efficacy

The belief in one’s own competence and ability to successfully accomplish tasks or achieve goals.

• a feeling of self-worth and value

• ex. I am valuable

vs

• a belief in one’s ability to succeed in a task

• ex. I believe I can do it

High Self-Esteem vs High Self-Efficacy

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to view oneself in an overly positive or favorable light.

Self-Serving Attributions

The tendency to credit personal successes to internal factors like ability, effort, or personality, while blaming failures on external factors such as luck, circumstances, or the actions of others.

Comparing oneself favorably to others

feeling of being far better than the average “others”

Illusory Optimism

the belief that we are less likely than others to experience misfortune.

False Consensus

overestimating how much others share our opinions, giving the illusion of widespread agreement.

Self Presentation

the act of expressing oneself and behaving in ways intended to create a favorable or desired impression on others.

Self Handicap

engaging in behaviors that undermine one’s own performance to protect self-esteem by providing excuses in case of failure.

Self Monitoring

observing how others respond to one’s behavior and adjusting one’s actions accordingly to achieve a desired social effect.

Early Theories

1920s to 1930s: __________

1940s to 1950s

______________: Growth and Influence of WWII

Classic Studies and Expansions

1960s to 1970s: __________

1980s to 1990s

______________: Cognitive and Social Cognition Focus

2000s to Present

______________: Contemporary Developments

Social Neuroscience

bridges psychology and biology by studying how the brain and body influence social behavior.

Cultural Psychology

Western cultures often emphasize independence, while Asian cultures highlight independence.

Automatic Processes

people make quick judgements, form impressions, and act on biases without realizing it.

Prejudice and Social Identity

Social psychologists continue to study prejudice, discrimination, and intergroup relations, focusing on how social identities (such as race, gender, religion, and nationality) influence behavior.

Prosocial Behavior

increasing interest in why people help others, cooperate, or show compassion

Happiness and Well-being

newer focus is positive psychology, which studies makes life fulfilling.

• Health

• Law

• Business

• Public policy

What are the areas where Social Psychology is applied today?